SAYWECANFLY talks the upcoming tour, keeping himself centred & advice to people starting out on their musical journey

First off, for anyone who doesn’t know what SAYWECANFLY is all about,describe it in three words..

Here’s my life.

Congratulations on announcing your Storyteller Unplugged tour! Wecan’t wait to have you back in Scotland. Without giving too much away,tell us a little about what we can expect on this run? And why shouldpeople come down to a show?

I’m really excited about this tour for a few reasons. My main goal withthese shows is bringing a super intimate experience to every city. Iwant it to feel more like a hangout than just a show. I’m lookingforward to the part where I come down from the stage and just sit infront of everyone on a stool with only my acoustic guitar. And I’mplaying a longer set than usual.

The last time you were over in the UK, you played your first set ofshows with a full band – how was that experience compared to what youare used to as a soloist?

I love those dudes. They are incredible people and musicians. ButSayWeCanFly isn’t a full band project – it’s just not. It was a greatexperience and we made so many great memories, but I’m meant to do thisalone.

After releasing your second full length record ‘Blessed Are Those’last year, it was met with a pretty positive response overall – youstepped outside of your comfort zone and took some risks, which paidoff. How much of a challenge is it to strike the balance betweencreating something familiar which you know your fans will love vssomething different which allows you to experiment and growartistically?

I think that thought process can be super dangerous when it comes tocreating… I definitely struggled with it a lot last year. However, Idon’t really let myself think about it anymore. I think the whole pointof creating is to physically manifest the things you are feeling, andthose things will change as our lives do. I was feeling very lost andthe album reflected that, and now I’m feeling grounded so the songs I’mmaking reflect that. I think it’ll always be SayWeCanFly whether it has astring quartet or a dance kick.

You have a very impressive social media following; 210k twitterfollowers, 186k YouTube subscribers and over half a million likes onFacebook!…when you first picked up a guitar and started making music,did you ever imagine that SAYWECANFLY would reach so many people?

Honestly, no. It was never my goal to reach anyone and I think thatmight be why I did. If I had focused on that I don’t believe I wouldhave written real songs that connected to those kids. I am so thankfulfor every single person who listens to my music and that I have beengiven the opportunity to do what I do.

If there’s one thing people will say about SAYWECANFLY, it’s that yourmusic & lyrics are so relatable…how does it feel when you meet fanswho are compelled to share their stories with you as a result of this?

It’s still something I don’t know if I will ever be able to wrap my headaround. Mainly because so many of those kids really don’t know how toexpress their feelings throughout their daily lives and for some reasonthey trust me enough to do it. It’s an honour and those conversationsare the most important part of playing music for me. It’s a two waystreet though – it always helps being reminded that other people feelwhat I feel too.

There must be a degree of responsibility that comes with that level ofconnectedness…how do you deal with that?

There totally is. I think the hardest part is knowing that even if I’mfeeling completely off balance, I have to bury that and just be therefor everyone. Those kids getting what they need from a show or meetingme has to be more important than how I feel in those moments. It’s justkind of something you accept when taking this lifestyle on. I have tomake sure I keep myself centered though, I’ve felt what happens if Idon’t. I need to be able to give and receive all of those heavyemotions.

Lastly, what advice would you give to someone who is just starting outon their own journey in the music industry?

Every industry whether it’s music or not functions the same. You need toknow exactly what you want, and act as if you already have it. Thatmeans you work everyday and always imagine yourself achieving yourgoals. There are no excuses because you need to be the best at what youdo. We all have days when things feel impossible but you need toremember that if someone else has achieved it before, it IS humanlypossible. I believe all of us possess equal power. You become what youthink about most.

Catch SAYWECANFLY on the following dates next month, on the Storyteller Unplugged Tour;